The 10 Commandments for new linux users

[Fintan]

I just came across this:
http://linuxbraindump.org/2007/08/13...w-linux-users/

[integr8e]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

Good stuff

[Bolly]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

Indeed, bookmarked for when I need a reminder

[MoonRise]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

Bookmarked it myself. Actually live by that without ever realizing it was a set of Commandments!

[JokersLoose]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

LOL Yep great advice for those of us who are new. :P

I never knew just how smart Google really was till I started down this road.

James

[eggbanjo]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

Thou shalt read documentation and man pages.
Always read the documentation. The people who wrote the software tried to anticipate your questions, and provided answers before you asked.


opps RTFM, thought this was against male genes

[kortsen]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

2. Thou shalt use the package manager when possible.
Sometimes installing from source code can’t be avoided, but when you use your distro’s package manager to install software, you can also use it to update and remove it. This is one of the main strengths of Linux.

I have used this as the barometer to rate any new distro that I have tried. Kubuntu passed this test with flying colours. I have yet to install a tarball. The closest I have come is when Envy installed build-essentials and kernel headers all by itself.

8. Thou shalt use the command line.
Especially when it comes to configuration, use the GUI tools to get your system working, but get to know the command line versions as well. In many cases, the command line is the only way to use some of the more advanced features.

I beg to differ. I won't debate the merits of knowing and using the command line, since I do it myself. But further to my comment above, another litmus test I used was how far I could get before a distro forced me, kicking and screaming, to open a terminal. I have found GUI front-ends for pretty well every task I need to do. That is what is expected of a modern OS for home users.

N00bs should not be expected to become masters of the command line. If they progress to the point that they put in the effort to do so, more power to them. If they don't, Linux can still be of great value to them and them to the Linux community.

[Smatt454]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

I beg to differ. I won't debate the merits of knowing and using the command line, since I do it myself. But further to my comment above, another litmus test I used was how far I could get before a distro forced me, kicking and screaming, to open a terminal. I have found GUI front-ends for pretty well every task I need to do. That is what is expected of a modern OS for home users.

N00bs should not be expected to become masters of the command line. If they progress to the point that they put in the effort to do so, more power to them. If they don't, Linux can still be of great value to them and them to the Linux community.

i see you're point, but i still think it is better to be ABLE to use the command line. maybe not for casual users. but if you are an avid computer user, then you should teach yourself a little about what you're using. most avid windows users cant use the CLI worth crap, and really i find the GUI much easier then the command line in Windows.

However, the command line in linux is much more powerful and efficient. I have spent HOURS working with GUI utilities in linux, and it turns out fixing the problem by myself with the command line took about 2 minutes.

no, newbies and casual users should not be expected to be experts at the command line. However, if you plan to use linux on a day-to-day basis for more than just web-browsing, word-processing, and causual gaming (such as Klondike or other KDE/Gnome games) then you should learn the command line.

In fact, you should learn to use the command line if you plan to use it day-to-day REGARDLESS. too many problems can come up that are easy fixes in the command line

[bmccosar]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

... another litmus test I used was how far I could get before a distro forced me, kicking and screaming, to open a terminal. I have found GUI front-ends for pretty well every task I need to do. That is what is expected of a modern OS for home users.

I have to second this. I'm a big command line user from way back in the TRS-80 days, but this weekend, I finally installed Linux on my wife's computer -- Kubuntu, of course.

Before this, I'd never found anything that would work perfectly right out of the box for someone with little experience in programming or the shell environment. Within a few hours, she was surfing the net, writing a speech in OpenOffice, and doing all the normal activities . . . about 10 x faster than that clunky Windows XP she was using. (The best advertisement is running it on the same computer, which took about 10 minutes to finish booting Windows all the way, but is up with KDE in under 3 minutes.)

I think to be an expert, you need to know the command line. But to just be a normal user (you know, the type the normal user account was invented for) -- I'd hope not.

[kortsen]

Re: The 10 Commandments for new linux users

no, newbies and casual users should not be expected to be experts at the command line. However, if you plan to use linux on a day-to-day basis for more than just web-browsing, word-processing, and causual gaming (such as Klondike or other KDE/Gnome games) then you should learn the command line.

This